Chapter 575 - 548: Refining the Sword Monarch’s Will

In a hidden cave.

Zhaang Ye let out a long breath. After six Hours of Healing, his injuries were finally healed. Moreover, his Cultivation had even shown faint signs of improvement.

His Heart Spirit entered the Fire Spirit Realm, where he found the Fire Spirit quietly cultivating. After consuming two Nine-leaf Fierce Sun Fruits, the Fire Spirit’s aura had grown much stronger. Based on its aura, its combat power was now comparable to an expert at the True Dao Fifth Layer Middle Stage.

With a thought, Zhaang Ye took out the Flood Dragon’s Inner Core and submerged his Spiritual Sense into it. He immediately felt a majestic and ancient aura radiating from within. As his Heart Spirit touched this aura, it couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

’What a tyrannical aura! It strikes like a blade... this is the Sword Monarch’s will!’ Zhaang Ye was both shocked and overjoyed as he carefully sensed this aura.

The Spiritual Will of an Ancient Strong Person was deeply engraved into every part of their body, making it immortal for millennia. Some exceptionally powerful Ancient Great Powers could be reborn even if their physical bodies were turned to ash, as long as a single strand of hair or a drop of blood survived.

The Sword Monarch was an Ancient Strong Person, and the blades he had used had all been of great help to Zhaang Ye. Now, this single strand of his hair would be of even greater help.

As Zhaang Ye sensed it carefully, he finally locked onto the will left behind by the Sword Monarch.

’This sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will seems to contain his memories. However, this will is exceptionally condensed. To obtain the memories within, I’ll have to refine this sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will!’ Zhaang Ye had a moment of insight as he continued to sense it.

BUZZ!

With a move of his Heart Spirit, Zhaang Ye began to refine the Sword Monarch’s will.

RUMBLE!

As he refined it, a stern-faced, purple-bearded middle-aged man suddenly appeared in Zhaang Ye’s sea of consciousness. The purple-bearded man’s expression was ice-cold as he shouted, "Who has the gall to dare refine my will!"

SWISH!

Following the purple-bearded man’s voice, an indescribable blade light slashed toward Zhaang Ye. This blade light was clearly extremely simple, yet Zhaang Ye found he couldn’t dodge it no matter what. Horrified, Zhaang Ye used his palm as a blade, gathering all his strength to execute his most powerful Self-Created Combat Skill—Cloud-Breaking Slash.

BOOM!

The blade light struck Zhaang Ye’s palm directly. He felt a jolt in his mind, which began to buzz. A pain originating from the depths of his soul spread through his entire body, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.

’How terrifying! This sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will was left behind tens of thousands of years ago, yet it still possesses such dreadful power! What a frightening Ancient Strong Person!’

Zhaang Ye’s heart pounded wildly, and he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to retract his Spiritual Power and withdraw from his sea of consciousness.

Just then, the purple-bearded middle-aged man let out a small sound of surprise. He stared at Zhaang Ye and said, "Kid, you actually managed to take one of this Sword Monarch’s strikes! And the Saber Technique you used is even slightly similar to my own. Tell me, did you create that Saber Technique yourself?"

Zhaang Ye, realizing he couldn’t leave his sea of consciousness at all, couldn’t help but curse his luck inwardly. He bowed respectfully and said, "I was fortunate enough to obtain one of Senior’s Shattered Blades. The Saber Technique I just used was my own creation, based on the Realm I perceived from the Broken Blade fragments."

"Hahahahaha!"

The purple-bearded middle-aged man laughed wildly and said, "Kid, your Comprehension is not bad! I am a sliver of consciousness left behind by my original self. If you can obtain my memories, your Saber Technique will surely improve by leaps and bounds.

"However, I, the Sword Monarch, roamed the world unrivaled. All of my insights into the Sword Dao were earned through my own blood, sweat, and tears. Even in death, my memories cannot be given away so easily. Kid, this Monarch can still unleash two more strikes. If you can take them, my will shall dissipate, and the memories will be yours. If you can’t, then you can just die for me! Take this!!"

The purple-bearded middle-aged man raised his hand, and another blade light slashed over, silent and without a trace!

Zhaang Ye knew he was now on the line between life and death. If he couldn’t take the Sword Monarch’s attack, his sea of consciousness would shatter, and his soul would scatter, leaving him utterly obliterated!

SWISH!

Zhaang Ye once again used his palm as a blade and executed Cloud-Breaking Slash. The Saber Technique unleashed by the purple-bearded man contained an incomparably profound Realm. It was simple yet terrifying to the extreme. Only Cloud-Breaking Slash could possibly contend with it!

RUMBLE!

Zhaang Ye’s sea of consciousness trembled. Boundless pain seemed to envelop him. His spirit and will were on the verge of collapse and could shatter at any moment. His soul felt as if it could dissipate between heaven and earth at any time.

"No, no, no!" Zhaang Ye roared, frantically focusing his will, consolidating his soul. The soul was the foundation of everything. If the soul dissipated, one would be truly dead—a fate more terrifying than the body being reduced to ash!

"Condense, condense, condense!"

Amidst Zhaang Ye’s frantic roars, his dissipating soul actually began to slowly condense again. Having returned from the brink of death, Zhaang Ye’s soul became even more consolidated, and his sea of consciousness had expanded considerably.

"Hahahahaha, kid, your Willpower is quite impressive. Here comes another!"

The purple-bearded man slashed out again. This strike was even faster, its Realm even more profound. As the blade light flashed, all sorts of illusions swarmed in!

This was the purple-bearded man’s final strike, and also his most powerful one. Although he was just a sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will, an Ancient Strong Person was an Ancient Strong Person, after all. Even a casual move from such a being was terrifying to the extreme!

At this life-or-death moment, Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit entered a state of absolute tranquility. Tranquility breeds foresight; stillness breeds wisdom. In this critical instant, Zhaang Ye actually managed to faintly grasp the purple-bearded man’s Sword Force and even thought of a way to counter it.

Zhaang Ye vaguely sensed that the purple-bearded man’s strike was incredibly fierce; any attempt to dodge would be useless. His only chance of survival was to use every skill at his disposal and take it head-on!

WHOOSH!

Zhaang Ye took an incredibly profound step, positioning himself in a perfect spot. This spot was precisely the weakest point in the purple-bearded man’s Saber Technique! By standing here, the Attack Power Zhaang Ye had to endure would be reduced by a tenth!

After taking that step, Zhaang Ye extended his arms and planted his feet shoulder-width apart. Facing the purple-bearded man’s world-stunning strike, Zhaang Ye actually executed a defensive stance he had practiced since childhood—Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation!

RUMBLE!

Zhaang Ye held his palms in front of him, one forward and one back. They were like an ancient bridge, its head and tail supporting each other. They were also like a vast ocean, boundless and capable of accommodating anything.

The Power of Accommodation!

Relying on his peerless Comprehension, Zhaang Ye integrated the Power of Accommodation into the Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation! He was going to use this Power of Accommodation to block the terrifying blade light!

RUMBLE!

Amidst a deafening explosion, the blade light before him was forcibly shattered by Zhaang Ye. The purple-bearded man’s figure began to thin, finally dissipating within Zhaang Ye’s sea of consciousness!

As the purple-bearded man dissipated, memories flooded into Zhaang Ye’s mind like a tide. Zhaang Ye’s vision went black, and his consciousness immediately returned to his physical body.

PTUI! PTUI! PTUI!

The moment Zhaang Ye’s consciousness returned, he immediately spat out several mouthfuls of fresh blood. Only then did he realize that blood was streaming from his eyes, ears, and nose. Blood was even seeping from his pores, turning him into a man of blood.

The soul and body were interconnected. When the soul suffered heavy damage, the body did as well. Zhaang Ye’s injuries had just healed, only for him to be wounded once more.

Although his body and soul were both severely injured, Zhaang Ye was ecstatic.

This sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will truly did contain all sorts of memories. Among them were numerous insights into the Sword Dao. In addition to the Sword Dao insights, there were also various secrets from Ancient Times and some of the Sword Monarch’s life experiences. To Zhaang Ye, these memories were undoubtedly a treasure he had only dreamed of!

’Excellent, excellent! This sliver of the Sword Monarch’s will really contains so much! After I digest all of this, my comprehension of the Sword Dao will surely rise to another level. My Saber Technique will also improve dramatically!’ Zhaang Ye took out a few Elixirs and swallowed them, simultaneously treating his injuries while digesting the Sword Monarch’s memories and comprehending the Sword Dao.

「Ten days later.」

Zhaang Ye’s eyes snapped open.

In just ten short days, Zhaang Ye’s entire demeanor had undergone a world-shaking Transformation.

The Sword Monarch’s life experiences, though fragmented, spanned a hundred years. By digesting them, it was as if Zhaang Ye had lived an extra century. His eyes grew deeper, and a hint of ancient weariness could be seen within them, like an old man who had lived for a hundred years.

WHOOSH!

Zhaang Ye casually slashed out. A blade light flashed through the void; it was his Self-Created Combat Skill, Mountain-Breaking Slash.

Mountain-Breaking Slash was Zhaang Ye’s own creation. Although he had already cultivated it to the Great Success Realm, his proficiency wasn’t high enough, and it had never possessed the terrifying power of a Space Storm. Now, as Zhaang Ye executed Mountain-Breaking Slash once more, wisps of a Tornado appeared with the strike. As the Breaking Wave Power slashed out, various forces manifested in the void, causing space itself to twist slightly!

Great Perfection! After integrating the Sword Monarch’s insights, Zhaang Ye’s understanding of the Sword Dao had deepened immensely, and Mountain-Breaking Slash had finally reached the Great Perfection Realm!

A faint smile touched Zhaang Ye’s lips as he executed "Cloud-Breaking Slash."

WHOOSH!

As he executed the Saber Technique, Zhaang Ye’s body suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, he was already three li away, as if he had used Instant Teleportation!

Instant Teleportation!

Zhaang Ye had integrated the Sword Monarch’s insights and perfected his Self-Created "Cloud-Breaking Slash." Relying on his understanding of the Sword Dao, Zhaang Ye had actually managed to achieve Instant Teleportation through his Saber Technique!

Zhaang Ye exhaled and muttered, "When I created Cloud-Breaking Slash, I hoped to be able to strike from ten thousand li away and arrive in an instant. The distance of the Instant Teleportation is only three li for now, but it’s still a breakthrough. With this slash, killing an ordinary Sixth-Layer Expert shouldn’t be a problem! Heh, I’ve been delayed for over ten days. It’s time I set out and searched for Spirit Elixirs in the Sword Monarch Ruins!"

Zhaang Ye’s gaze fell upon a certain spot in the ruins.